This year’s city council election consists of seven members of the Wilmington community vying for the council’s three open seats.
 
Early one-stop voting started Oct. 19, absentee ballot requests are due Oct. 31 and Election Day is Nov. 7. More details on voting can be found on the Board of Elections website.
 
The Greater Wilmington Business Journal asked each candidate questions about their campaign to see how the candidates compare.

Kathryn Bruner - Wilmington City Council

Occupation: Owner of Kathryn Bruner Realty LLC, veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard
Political experience: Has not held a government position 
Political affiliation: Republican

GWBJ: If elected, what changes would you like to see in Wilmington during your term?
Bruner: "I plan to fill the vacancies at the Wilmington Police Department. Before we can take steps towards The Gateway Project or a Social District we need to ensure our foundation is in place first, and that's Public Safety. Additionally, we need common sense leadership ... There needs to be a true understanding of each project we are approving and continuity before each vote. We need to consider the long-term impacts of each request."

GWBJ: What do you want people to take away from your campaign?
Bruner: "We need to elect members of our community who want to 'do something' not 'be something.' It should not feel like the government vs the people, the people should be the government. That's exactly who I am, I am a person, not a politician. I will listen, I will show up respectfully, I will work hard for our community, and I'll never lose sight of the fact that elected officials are public servants .... we serve you."

GWBJ: Would you put an emphasis on affordable housing in the city? How would you approach the issue?
Bruner: "Anyone who has lived in Wilmington since Hurricane Florence in 2018 should put a significant emphasis on affordable housing in our city. … We need to work with developers to make sure a certain percentage of their projects are reserved for affordable housing. … One reason that no one can fix the housing problem is that we continue to make it more difficult to actually build housing. ... We need to simplify the homeownership process."

GWBJ: What is your approach to growth and development in Wilmington?
Bruner: "There's a shock value that comes with growth. … While we are a beautiful city that many people want to move to, we need to protect the historic value of our community and make smart growth decisions. …This circles back to common sense leadership, our city council members need to have an intimate understanding of what we are approving. … We need to put eyes on projects before we vote, and we need to slow down if NCDOT cannot keep up with improving our roads first."

GWBJ: If elected, which industry would you like to see grow in your next term?
Bruner: "Every industry! Our community and business owners need support across the board. We have incredible, innovative companies in Wilmington that are improving our state and our country, they need to be supported by our city so they stay in our city."

GWBJ: What do you bring to the role that the other candidates do not?
Bruner: "As a United States Coast Guard Veteran I worked for the Command Center for the State of North Carolina running emergency operations from Virginia down to (the) South Carolina border. … Earlier this year, a Navy Captain came down from D.C., requesting to pair Naval Fleet Week with Wilmington’s Azalea Festival. Our current council asked questions about hotel capacity. … I would have made sure that not a dime of our local tax dollars was going towards paying for our local law enforcement diverting from protecting our city line, to now escorting a Naval Vessel."

To read the Q&A from the other Wilmington City Council candidates, click here.